Conspirators in alleged murder plot arraigned

Lucretia Fernandez

Published 7:00 pm, Tuesday, June 19, 2007

Joshua Aaron Kennedy, 26, of New Caney; Rose Ann Bond, 27, of New Caney; Billy Jack Pelton, 26, of Pearland; and Cole Younger Patton, 27, of Porter, allegedly conspired to kill the deputy, whose name is not being released for protective reasons.

Defense attorneys for the suspects, Jose Mata, Andrea Kelski, Brent Dornburg and Darin Ray, respectively, have agreed to not talk about the case because the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office plans to file a gag order, Mata said.

Criminal conspiracy charges against the four suspects were announced about two weeks ago by Montgomery County Sheriff Tommy Gage.

Kennedy allegedly asked his cousin Bond to "obtain components to make an explosive device" in April, according to Kennedy's indictment for criminal solicitation.

At the time, Kennedy was being held at the Montgomery County Jail for three felony charges of possession of weapons or body armor, a felony charge for unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon and a state jail felony charge for possession of a controlled substance.

Pelton and Patton are accused of agreeing to assist with the use of an electronic tracking device and an improvised explosive devise to execute the alleged plan, according to investigators.

Criminal conspiracy, a first-degree felony, is punishable by five to 99 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.